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Everyone in Kent is being encouraged to discover a love
for reading as 2008 is the National Year of Reading.
Kent County Council is leading the way by planning and promoting
a range of activities and events for people who love reading and
for those who have yet to discover the joys of reading.
The Kent campaign will officially begin with a special launch
event at County Hall in Maidstone on Monday 21 April based on the
theme 'A great place to read.'
The county's schools and libraries are linking with businesses
and voluntary organisations to challenge Kent's residents to get
involved and have come up with some simple ideas to help people get
started:
- visit your local library - it's free and easy to join as there
are no forms to fill in. Simply pop in with some personal
identification and you can start borrowing books straight away.
Kent's libraries run events and activities throughout the year
including Baby Bounce and Rhyme Time - just ask at your local
library for details. They also have newspapers, magazines, DVDs and
CDs as well as free access to computers and the internet.
- start a Book Group at work, at home or even in the pub - a
great way to get people together to read and discuss books
- read to your children (or get them to read to you)
- become a volunteer - if you love reading then becoming a
volunteer with the Time2Give scheme means you can work to encourage
other people to read too or volunteer with the Home Library Service
which delivers books to people who find it difficult to access a
local library
KCC Cabinet Member for Community Services
Mike
Hill said: "The National Year of Reading is not just about
books, but about all forms of reading including newspapers,
magazines and the internet.
"We really want to encourage people to develop a passion for
reading and to recognise that it can open doors, enhancing their
confidence and skills, helping them to find out information, get a
better job, or escape the pressures of daily life with a good
book.
"There will be lots of work going on in our libraries and
schools to promote literacy by making it fun, while getting across
the important message that life is so much better when you
read."
KCC Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Educational
services
Chris
Wells said: "Reading is a vital skill for life, not just the
classroom. As well as promoting a love for books and reading among
our pupils, we shall be encouraging them to take this passion home
too, and share it with their families and friends. I hope that for
many young people, the NYR will be the start of a lifelong
enthusiasm for the written word."
More information about getting involved is available on the
Kent libraries
website, alternatively email
libraries.readit@kent.gov.uk
with your ideas, suggestions and questions. You can also write to
Libraries and Archives Reader Development Team, Herne Bay Library,
124 High Street, Herne Bay, CT6 5JY.
Detailed information about the launch event will be made
available at a later date. |